The Present Disclosure relates, generally, to a connector for a card.
Conventional electronic devices typically include card connectors to allow various types of memory cards to be used. An example of such a conventional electronic device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-146289, the content of which is incorporated in its entirety herein.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a conventional connector for a card. In this drawing, 811 is the metal frame of the card connector, which has a bottom plate portion 811b, and which accommodates a memory card (not shown). The electrode pads (not shown) of a memory card, such as a SIM card, are exposed on the bottom.
A plurality of first terminal holding portions 811c and second terminal holding portions 811d are formed in the bottom plate portion 811b, and metal first terminals 851 and second terminals 861 are held in each first terminal holding portion 811c and second terminal holding portion 811d. In the example shown, the first terminals 851 and second terminals 861 are arranged in two rows to accommodate the arrangement of electrodes in a SIM card.
The first terminal 851 includes a rectangular frame portion 851a open in the center, a cantilevered contact member 851b having a base end connected to the inner edge of the short side of the rectangular frame portion 851a and extending into the opening, and a tail portion 851d extending outward from the outer edge of the short side of the rectangular frame portion 851a. The second terminal 861 includes a rectangular frame portion 861a open in the center, a cantilevered contact member 861b having a base end connected to the inner edge of the short side of the rectangular frame portion 861a and extending into the opening, and a tail portion 861d extending outward from the outer edge of the short side of the rectangular frame portion 861a. 
The first terminal 851 and the second terminal 861 are secured to the bottom plate portion 811b by bonding the frame portions 851a, 861a, coated with an insulating film, to the first terminal holding portion 811c and second terminal holding portion 811d using an insulating adhesive. Also, the first terminal 851 and the second terminal 861 are connected electrically to the conductive traces of the circuit board (not shown) by soldering the tail portions 851d, 861d to the connection pads on the surface of the circuit board. The frame 811 is then secured to the surface of the circuit board by soldering the tail portions 851d, 861d to connection pads.
When a memory card is loaded into the frame 811, the electrode pads exposed on the bottom face of the memory card come into electrical contact with the contact members 851b, 861b of the first terminal 851 and the second terminal 861. Because the cantilevered contact members 851b, 861b are elastically deformed, and the resulting spring action presses them against the electrode pads, contact with the electrode pads can be reliably maintained.
Conventional card connectors, unfortunately, are difficult to use because cards such as memory cards can be difficult to insert and eject. Card connectors with push/push card guiding mechanisms have been introduced in which the card is pushed in when it is loaded and pushed in when removed in order to make it easier for a user to load or remove a card with one hand.
Further, electronic devices and cards become smaller and more compact with each passing year, meaning the area of the card surface occupied by electrode pads increases, and the leeway to arrange the electrode pads a certain way decreases. For example, a SIM card is a card with two rows of electrode pads, and the electrode pads in the front row and back row are arranged near the front and rear edges of the card. Because a card is pushed into the insertion slot of a card connector with a push/push card guiding mechanism, the leading end of the contact members of the terminals corresponding to the electrode pads arranged near the rear edge of the card has to be arranged near the insertion slot at the rear end of the card connector.
When the terminals are mounted to place the leading end portion as close as possible to the insertion slot and to extend the spring-loaded cantilevered contact member upwards at an angle from the interior of the card connector towards the insertion slot, the contact members of the terminals may buckle. When the terminals are mounted to extend cantilevered contact members upward at an angle from the insertion slot of the card connector towards the inside, the contact members do not buckle. However, when the length of the contact members is reduced in this configuration to move the contact portions at the leading end of the contact members closer to the insertion slot, the length of the spring is reduced and contact between the leading end and electrode pads of the card becomes less reliable.